According to Rabbi Isaac Luria this sign represents the higher and lower waters and the firmament between them.
It is the only letter that makes no sound of its own in a word but from its silence emanates the whole alphabet of sounds. It represents number 1 and begins the word for divine unity. In Kabbalistic view, Alef is the outward trusting energy which seeds the cosmos, the primal source of Creation. In the final analysis Alef points to God in all his fullness of being.
Christian Perspective
Why is alef made up of three strokes although is stands for number one? If this is a sacred sign as the Jews claim, is God revealing in an obscure way something about His nature?
Christians acknowledge the same God as the Jews but with a Trinitarian perspective. We read in St. John, "In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God." (Jn1:1) There is only One God even for the Christians but this unity is a dynamic and loving interplay of three divine persons, the Father, Son and Spirit. God the Father is the source (Number 1) of all creation but He crates everything through the co-eternal Word and in the Spirit. The Word of God is also the Wisdom of God which pervades the whole creation.
Beit is derived from bayit which means house. This refers to God's house or the Temple. This expresses God's desire to dwell in his creation which began, in a special way, when created man as God said, "Let us make man in our image, after our likeness." (Gn 1:26) He dwelt with the Israelites on their journey for 40 years in the desert and made a Covenant with them, "You are a people sacred to the Lord, your God; he has chosen you ...to be a people peculiarly his own." (Dt 7:6) Beit also means number 2. Beit begins the Hebrew word for blessing (berecha) and signifies that our daily lives are filled with God's goodness care.
Christian Perspective
Christianity sees the culmination of God's desire to dwell in his creation in Christ. St. John states, "And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory of the Father's only Son, full of grace and truth." (Jn 1:14) One day Jesus drove out the seller from the Temple of Jerusalem because they were making his Father's house a market place. The Jews asked for a sign that would indicate his right to do this. Jesus said, "Destroy this temple and in three days I will raise it up." He was refiring to the temple of his own body. Jesus is number 2, the second person of the Trinity because he proceeds from the Father from all eternity. Simeon who saw the infant Jesus in the temple realized that he was the Savior, the blessing for all nations, "a light of revelation to the gentiles and the glory for your people Israel." (Lk 2:32)
Gimmel literally means camel but in traditional Jewish lore this character represents a person running after one who is needy in order to help him. It begins the Hebrew phrase for loving-kindness. It represent number 3.
"The word gimmel is derived from the word gemul, which in Hebrew means both the giving of reward as well as the giving of punishment. In Torah, both reward and punishment have the same ultimate aim the rectification of the soul to merit to receive G-d's light to the fullest extent." 36
Christian Perspective
God in revealing himself to the Jews and through his Son ran after our fallen humanity. St. John tells us, "God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, so that everyone who believes in him might not perish but have eternal life."
Christ's story of the Good Samaritan brought new understanding to the Jewish people on the question: "Who is my neighbor?"
One day a man fell victim to a robber as he traveled from Jerusalem to Jericho. A priest and a levite saw the man but moved on, but a Samaritan when he saw the man was moved to compassion. He took care of his wounds and brought him to an inn where he paid the innkeeper to care for him. Jesus asked his listeners, "Which ... of these three was neighbor to the robber's victim? (Lk 11:29-37)
Further, Christ confirms the destiny of man "reward or punishment" "Behold, I am coming soon. I bring with me the recompense I will give according to his deed" (Rv 22:12)
Dalet , Hei , Vav